


Comfort and Confidence

by look-at-all-these-imagines (inspired_writer)



Series: Writing from Tumblr [12]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Comfort, F/M, M/M, people talk shit and claude isn't here for it, uhh this isn't really byleth bc reader is a student, ya YEET
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-17 21:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21600178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inspired_writer/pseuds/look-at-all-these-imagines
Summary: an emergency request for a friend-when you hear people talk about how abysmal you did on the last mission (you were already beating yourself up about it too) you're ready to just lay down and forget about the rest of the day. too bad, claude overheard.
Relationships: Claude von Riegan/Reader
Series: Writing from Tumblr [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1038353
Kudos: 139





	Comfort and Confidence

You really didn’t feel like facing anyone today. After the horrendous mission the last moon, you were beginning to dread whatever the next one would end up being.

You hoped that the professor would at least let you be back up, rather than being a part of the main lines. Besides what did you have to offer anyway? You could barely remember doing more than doing your best to dodge enemy attacks and miss any attacks you had attempted towards the bandits you were facing.

Classes had ended for the day and while mainly everyone had remained in the classroom to discuss the upcoming mission (an escort mission seemed tamer than dealing with bandits but then again you’d rather not hold anyone back). Your classmates were good people, but just the thought that they too agreed that you’d be better off not doing anything scared you.

As much as Professor Byleth tried to assure you, the doubt wouldn’t simply go away. 

Currently, at the library, you were reading up on a book, hopefully, to find some way to memorize some of the spells inside to include them in your arsenal ~~and maybe find a way to not be so bad compared to the rest of your class~~.

Seeing as it was the middle of the afternoon, the library did have a few people in there as well, you spotted Linhardt napping in the corner, various books that you were sure about crests laid out all around him, Claude was reading something, but that didn’t surprise you either, as he practically made it his job to know everything about everyone and everything. 

But that wasn’t the only thing that caught your attention. You felt yourself perking up when you heard your name from the two students having a conversation some feet away from you at another table. 

“Can you believe it? That mercenary rejected me, _me_ , from joining his class!” One girl exclaimed, frustration evident in her tone, her friend listening in sympathy, “But what does that mercenary know anyways? Lady Rhea probably hired them out of pity.”

You purse your lips, they shouldn’t talk about the Professor like that, they knew what they were doing, or at least they acted like they did.

But before you could interject in the defense of your teacher, what they said next was…hurtful.

“But sure they have ____, still in their class, apparently one of the knights said they did awfully bad for the last couple missions. Yet for some reason, they’re still in Golden Deer! Can you believe it?”  
“Seriously?” Her friend asked, surprised, “You’d think their professor would see the lack of progress as a sign or something. A spot there is wasted on someone useless like that.”

Useless. 

Yup, that’s exactly how you were feeling. Since they could see that, you were certain that everyone else did too. 

Without a word, you stood, your chair squeaking against the wood floors, exiting the library as quick as you can, your book left behind. The two gossips had gone silent as you walked past them without a word.

* * *

Now Claude likes to think that he knows his classmates pretty well, seeing as how he’s the house leader and all. He cares for them (but he wouldn’t tell them that to avoid the teasing) and would gladly defend them. So, of course, he’s thinking of ways to get back at those two for talking smack about Teach. 

His pranks are relatively harmless after all.

But when he hears what they say about you, that makes him angry. So seeing you leave the library and seeing the small tear leave your eye, he’s livid. 

Instead, he returns the book he was leafing through back to its proper spot, and approaches the two gossips with that usual smile on his face (and if that smile had more teeth than usual then that was no one else’s business but his own).

“C-Claude!” One squeaks in surprise. He would laugh if he wasn’t so annoyed with them.

“This seems to be quite the conversation you’re having, mind if I join you?”

* * *

You probably should’ve headed over to see Professor Byleth right away. Maybe they would let you sit out, or at least give your spot to someone more deserving and definitely not as _useless_ as you.

But instead you find yourself wallowing in your room, you can’t believe you nearly cried out there, yes their words were hurtful, but you refused to give them the satisfaction of making you cry.

Before your self wallowing party continued, a knock on your door interrupted your self-loathing.

You wanted to ignore it, hopefully, whoever it was would just think you weren’t here and they’d leave you alone. But the knocking continued, so with an annoyed noise, you reluctantly got up and answered the door.

It was Claude with his usual ‘too-friendly-to-be-actually-friendly’ smile on his face. You had half a mind to close the door. As much as you appreciate them, you weren’t in a particular mood to be a part of his schemes. 

Your face must’ve shown as much, as his smile softened. You being the pining person that you were, took a lot of pride in the fact that your face wasn’t flushed a deep red.

“Are you alright?” He asks gently once you invite him in. He sits at the chair near your desk while you unceremoniously laid down on your bed, using a pillow to cover up your face because by the goddess did his smile do things to you.

“Not at all,” Is your muffled reply.

There’s a good amount of silence for a moment or two, before your voice pipes up:

“Hey, Claude? Do you think if I ask nicely enough, the professor will switch me out during the next mission?”

You keenly ignore the sudden snort from him. 

“What do you mean? Teach wouldn’t switch you out,” Claude reassures, mirth in his voice.

You move the pillow down so that at least your eyes are visible, “Claude you wouldn’t get it, I mean, you’re the house leader and everything! You’re just naturally good at everything!” You say, frustration very clear, “I literally sucked so bad last time, I don’t know why the professor kept me on the front lines.”

“What do you mean, you knocked one of the bandits right out that the ones surrounding him ran away in fear!” Claude’s surprised and he grins, you give him a blank stare, “No one can flail like you can.”

“Thank you _so much_ for that, Claude. That’s exactly what I needed.” You cover your face with the pillow. You’re sure that he means well but currently, you feel like shit.

“Why would you guys want someone useless like me?” Your voice is quiet but sad, and you don’t see his face (lucky for Claude, if you did, you totally would’ve seen the adoration in his eyes for you, and the empathy too).

Instead, you feel a dip in the bed, and when you move the pillow from your face, you’re met with his green eyes looking into your own as Claude is laying down right next to you,, and you almost choke on air from the proximity ~~_and the surprise_~~. But you don’t, and you feel very proud of yourself for not totally embarrassing yourself in front of him.

“I think you’re great.” Claude says, and you know he’s not just acting like the charming grandson of Duke Riegan, “If you’ll believe it, I was a total mess in the beginning too. I wasn’t always this skilled you know.”

You can’t help the small chuckle of disbelief.

“I was! Honest!” He says laughing along with you.

He turns on his side, “Besides Golden Deer wouldn’t be the same without you. Regardless if anyone incorrectly says otherwise.”

You can’t help but blanch at that. Right…he was at the library too, but there was no way that he heard them, right? *Right?* With your luck he probably did, oh great he probably did see you nearly cry too.

“You’re probably just saying that,” You murmur looking away from him.

“Nope,” He replies popping the p. 

“You’re awesome out on the front lines, so what if you had a rough time the last time? Don’t you remember a few moons back? We had to go after it rained for two days straight and everyone was practically slipping around in the mud every other step? You didn’t fall on your backside like the rest of us and you managed to defeat some bandits while looking good doing it.” He looks like he freezes for a second, before continuing anyways. 

“One bad mission doesn’t mean you’re not good at what you do ___,” He promises, “You’re really talented, don’t let what those two said back there get to you.”

Although you don’t say much about it after that, Claude remained in your room, talking to you about the hijinks that he and Hilda had gotten into, all while not getting caught either. You appreciated what he was trying to do.

Thankfully Claude was right, it was just one difficult mission. The upcoming one wasn’t as awful as you thought, even the Professor had told you that you had done a great job. They didn’t throw around praise for nothing. 

But there was a bit of a curious rumor, as there were apparently a student or two that had suddenly come up with the stomach flu. But apparently it had only been two particular students. Which was oddly curious in itself.

When you had questioned Claude about it, he simply acted completely innocent ~~but you were certain that your hunch was correct~~ but you left the topic alone.

But when you thanked him for coming to your defense, his smile proved it.

**Author's Note:**

> for petalpetal on tumblr! they just wanted some claude comforting the reader.


End file.
